League City looks to grants for sidewalks, demolition

The City of League City plans to use its federal Community Development Block
Grant funds this year to tear down a condemned apartment building and
improve sidewalks along Main Street.

Residents can learn about and comment on the plans during a public hearing
Monday at 4:30 p.m. at the Civic Center, 400 W. Walker St.

"We usually get in the ballpark between $270,000 and $290,000" from the
program, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development,
says Tony Allender, League City's Director of Planning and Research.

This year, Allender says, the city plans to put about $50,000 toward adding
sidewalks and repairing existing ones along Main Street between Park Street
and Texas Avenue.

That amount may cover only design costs, so the actual work might have to
wait for future years' block-grant money.

"This is not going to be a rushed job, unfortunately," Allender says.

About another $240,000 will be spent to demolish the abandoned Snug Harbor
Apartments, 628 Highway 3 S.

"The good news is for us, that will go in the form of a lien," Allender
says. "Whoever buys it will buy the lien... [so] we will get some of that
money back."

At Monday's hearing, the public is invited to offer comments, complaints, or
"any information we may have missed," Allender says.

The event will also include a "pre-application workshop" for agencies
interested in applying for CDBG funds. View the hearing notice here.